[TKR] ACK! OMG! TKR on May 29th

Thought I’d mention this on my thread for those looking for balance and strengthening equipment. No interest in it other than I like it. Anyway, I was concerned about hurting myself, tweaking my knee, on workout equipment which I have done before with balance boards.

So prior to surgery, I bought a Step360 and love it. Each ring can be independently inflated or deflated with air creating a range of easy to extremely difficult workouts. I got the larger diameter size so I can easily put two feet on it at the same time. Currently, I have both rings almost flat so I can slowly work on balance.

Hang in there, kiddo, you're doing great!

WOW that looks like fun mt sense of balance is awful

Hmmm….. maybe I am not communicating this well so let me attempt to explain it better. I try to convey what I have experienced; to me that isn’t a negative, it just is what it is.

I am attempting to keep it real and capture where I am presently. If I need to work on ROM, which I do, it will be difficult but I will do so. But I need that objective feedback to gauge where I am at.

I totally want to know my ROM. Some people don't, some people do, I am one that wants to know; neither view is right or wrong, negative or positive. Also, as an FYI, my insurance needs my recorded ROM and that I am making progress, otherwise, they will stop paying for my PT.

My physical therapist, (as well as her associates), is a wonderful PT with decades of experience in many PT modalities. She absolutely, unequivocally never expressed herself in a negative manner. I asked her questions about my ROM and she answered objectively. If she only gave me an "everything is rosy" response or never measured my ROM, I would find a different PT pronto. I want to know my prognosis, good or bad.

The fact that I don’t have a terrific ROM, does…. yes…. suck! But that means we put together a go-forward plan that gets me to a better flexion / extension and where I will be able to participate in the activities I enjoy.

Summarizing: not negative, great PT, awful ROM, but working on it!

Positively good for you Liz! If you don't want to know your ROM you should not have to. But I need to know it, want to know it, and have no issue at all making a plan based on where I am at currently in my healing process.

Being a logical sided thinker, there is nothing negative about knowing my ROM. Ever! It is one more tool I have to use in making decisions. There is a normal range and a sub normal range and then those that have so much range they are super human. I plan to at least be in the normal range when all is said and done.

Plus, I am more than capable of handling any Dr or PT that would categorize me as way behind and do so in a manner that was less than professional. We would have an objective discussion on the topic, I would take the input and make a decision based on what I thought was best for me. And the same goes for any feedback given on this forum.

Anyway, off my soapbox. You continue to improve in the way you see as best for you. That is awesome that you are noticing your improvement.

Weeeelllll at PT today, we worked on leg exercises, (I know, shocker ) they are tough but not painful. Don't remember all of the names but a variety to keep my interest.

Then massaging and stretching on my painful knee places and lymphatic draining as well. The lymphatic draining is to reduce the fluid as is the massage and it all seems to be working, I noticed a difference in the few days between this treatment and the last. It also feels so much better later in the day after treatment.

And of course the bike. No pushing. The PT thought I could make it around but I did not. Tried sweeet talking him into moving the seat wayyyyy back as I knew I could make it around if it were back far enough, but he said........ eh, don't think so. So instead, I rocked back and forth in place and we both were perfectly comfortable with not pushing further. He said it will come with time.

We did measure, that dreaded word, ROM, and my extension went from 10 to 4. I have been working with a folded pillow under my ankle for my stretch and it has been working. We could see right away that it was better.

My flexion still sucks, barely 90 degrees. Though, that actually is up from last time, my goal is around 127 so I will continue to work on it. I was very happy with the extension at 4; could tell the difference when standing that it didn't feel like one leg was so much shorter.

Glad you had a good day at PT!

Ahhhh... another night where sleep is evasive. Oh well, still am able to nap some at night even if it is not quite the same as a good night's sleep.

I haven't done the grocery store yet, except for an initial excursion to pick up necessities with my sister. I was contemplating going this morning, though, before it gets crowded and I run over someone with the motorized cart!

I want to pick up a few things instead of waiting till I need a lot. I could not imagine trying to get several bags of groceries into the kitchen by myself. I'd have to rest between bags, but a few things I can probably handle. I'll see if I have an enough energy after not having a good night's sleep. Maybe I can bribe myself with the promise of chocolate!

Hi 1ELISEA, that sounds like a good idea just getting a few things each time. Here I am using a delivery service to get my groceries. I've been using the service for a long time as I was quite disabled before the TKRs and couldn't have managed otherwise. Do you have stores that deliver where you are?

I think we may have it in common that we live alone (I think I saw that you mentioned that about yourself someplace?). I have my youngest son here but he isn't home much and he is moving out in a month or less. I'm worried about how I'll manage but things should be getting better by then.

Congrats on the extension! Where you are with flexion I would think you're getting close to being able to get the pedals all the way around. That first one will be such a victory!

Elisea, thanks for correcting our misunderstanding. It really makes a difference when the physical therapist is good and has our best interest in mind and in heart. Glad that you had a good PT session with some visible progress.

It was, I think, 4 weeks before I drove to the grocery store to get a few things. It felt so good to get out, but good to get back home too. Chocolate is DEFINITELY a good thing after a grocery store trip.

Hi Organist
I didn’t want to leave a bad impression about my PT so I’m happy I was able to correct any misunderstanding. She is really wonderful and taking it at my pace but pushing me just enough and also holding me accountable for doing my exercises.

And they try various approaches like lymphatic drainage. That to me, seemed rather bogus, but low and behold it seems to be working as the fluid seems less around the knee.

When I told her I had been a bit skeptical she smiled and said that logical thinking people more often than not have that reaction. Anyway, that along with the massage and stretching seems to be helping reduce the fluid buildup around the knee.

And chocolate does have secret healing powers, don't you think?

Yes, I do think that chocolate makes everything better!

Elisea, horray!!! on your extension, big difference. Keep up the good work.

I agree that chocolate is a nice reward after a grocery store trip. You will find yourself able to do more and more, but I like your idea of getting a bit at a time so as not to make too much work.

I hadn’t thought about grocery delivery service; maybe I’ll research it.

While I don't have family around, I have nice neighbors who pitched in with meals and ice when I returned home from my sister’s. You’ll do fine in a month, probably better than you think. I am a month out now from surgery.

The hardest part is driving myself to places, my knee gets stiff from driving and not being able to take medication for it until I am back home makes it rough. You’ll just need to pace yourself and not do everything in one day.

Be sure and stock up before your surgery. When you are post surgery and on pain meds, food isn't all that interesting. Chocolate, though, that is always welcome.

Elisea, a good stock of chocolate helps throughout recovery.

Thinking back, I do remember that they measured my ROM a couple of times during the 4 weeks that I went through PT -- at the beginning so they'd know where they were starting with me, maybe once a couple of weeks later, and somewhere in the 3rd week. They didn't do massage, but there were a lot of stretching exercises with slight pauses between each repetition, and with a couple of minutes between various exercises. I massage my knee and leg whenever it's sore, and when I'm just sitting on the recliner watching TV and relaxing.

Driving wasn't as bad the first time as I thought it might be. I took the side roads when and where the traffic was less -- and just drove at a speed that resembled sight-seeing. I avoided the interstate and by-pass around and through Asheville for awhile though.

Hope that you're having a good weekend.

I ventured out to the store today, not the grocery store, but the local drugstore to pick up a few things. Now I had thouuuuuught they had a motorized cart but when I got inside I didn’t see one. So stuck my crutches into a regular cart, and hanging on tightly, started walking; most assuredly got my exercise for the day.

Soon everything on my list was in the cart. The only problem is I didn't edit my list to be only items lighter than a pound or small enough to fit in my hand.

Ohhhhhh nooooo, how do I get everything from the store to my car and the car to my garage and my garage to my kitchen. AGH!

I am not one to usually ask for assistance, but when you have your hands full and no way to get things to the car, that quickly changes. After checking out, the clerk was ever so nice and rolled the cart to my car and loaded everything in which was a huge help.

I am at the stage where I am concerned I will step funny and hurt everything so am extra careful about taking too much on. Cart, groceries, crutches, too much so appreciated her assistance.

When I got home it took me 3 trips to get the goods from my garage to the bottom of my inside staircase. And then I walked the bags up one step at a time. Where there is a will there is a way!

After getting everything put away, it was nap time. And then chocolate time, yeah!!

Quite the accomplishment for the day!

Yay! You did it. Great work. One step at a time.

Thanks BJ!